You Win Some, You Dim Sum — Meet Carlie, our Hong Kong TEFL Crush

Carlie, officially from Sheffield, UK, knew that her time on that little Atlantic island was going to be short-lived. She was destined for adventure — and, as it turns out, an even smaller island.

Learn more about Carlie’s journey to teaching English in Hong Kong, her newfound obsession with dim sum, and how Premier TEFL helped her get there.

1. Coming from the UK, did you feel support from your family, community, friends, networks for adopting this life of adventure that would take you to the other side of the planet?

Yes, my family and friends were extremely supportive, as they knew that moving to Hong Kong was going to be an adventure of a lifetime for me! They are planning on visiting for Christmas and Chinese New Year.

2. Tell us about your process for finding the right TEFL training experience for you.

I knew initially that I wanted to go with an internationally recognized company for my TEFL; after in depth research and calling numerous TEFL companies, I felt that Premier TEFL was friendly and the most reliable with great staff.

3. Why did you opt to take additional courses on top of your standard 120 hour TEFL course?

I chose to add further modules to my 120 hour TEFL as it allowed me to gain more experience. It really makes you stand out to future employers, so I knew I wanted to bolster my job prospects as much as possible. And as it turns out, it was a good call. I found a job pretty quickly!

4. Did you feel your training helped push you to become a rockstar teacher in the classroom?

Yes! I learnt so much through my TEFL, which I am now putting to practice within my classroom in HK — from how to seat children based on activities to how to teach grammar correctly, everything we discussed and learned is useful at some point during your teaching experience!

5. You organized your teacher placement independently in Hong Kong. Tell us about the steps you took to coordinate this.

I searched a lot on the internet, mostly advertised jobs via Indeed and other job vacancy sites. Before I knew it, I had an interview and was heading to beautiful Hong Kong!

6. What do you wish you knew before going through the above process?

To remember to pack sunscreen and to have jetted off sooner!

7. What are two pieces of advice you would give future ESL teachers, especially those considering taking a more independent-route towards teaching abroad?